Skater Gurl
by Nicole Lo
Summary: Marco is a skater boy- a punk. Manuela has taken over Degrassi High as the most popular girl who’s devoted to dancing. He has a crush on her, she hides everything from everyone. But everyone's changed ... Ash has done a 360, Jimmy is broken-hearted, y m
1. Default Chapter

Skater Gurl  
By: Nicole Lopez  
  
Summary: Marco is a skater boy- a punk. Manuela has taken over Degrassi High as the most popular girl who's devoted to dancing. He has a crush on her and she hides all her feelings from everyone. Will Manuela get past her ego and give Marco a chance? Will she end up alone and pregnant? Read, review, and find out. (This story is loosely based off of Avril Lavigne's song "Skater Boy" but there is a little twist in this story .)  
  
Main Characters:  
  
Manuela: popular, junior who single-handedly rules the school, stop being friends with Emma after she started dating Cody, hopes to become a dancer, dyed her hair blonde, brown eyes, Colombian  
  
Marco: skater, senior, hopelessly in love with Manuela, gave up popularity for something he loved more, best friends with Cody, Liberty, and Mona, dark hair and dark eyes, Dominican  
  
Hazel: popular, senior, trying to get over reoccurring feels about Jimmy, Manuela's closet friend, layered brown hair, dark eyes, wants to be a model or movie producer someday, Somalian  
  
Jimmy: popular, senior, always tries to prove that he's black, has broken up with Ashley for good, hides his sensitive side, wishes that his family was around, dark hair, dark eyes, African American father, Caucasian mother  
  
Terri: semi-popular, senior, sick of being the token chubby girl, the only one that Ashley confides in, has been crushing on Cody for a while, dyed reddish brown hair and blue eyes, Caucasian  
  
Cody: skater, senior, uses drugs and alcohol to escape his non-existent family life, misses his little sister Amber and his mother, won't allow himself to feel anything real, is a shadow of the person he once was, curly brown hair, brown eyes, Caucasian  
  
Liberty: skater that takes ballet too, against her will, junior, has been Marco's best friend since everyone abandoned him when he thought he was gay, has deeper feelings for him and hates Manuela because he cares for her like he'd never care for Liberty, light brown curly hair, dark brown eyes, Puerto Rican mother, Italian father  
  
Ashley: popular, senior, has one mission before high school is over- get Jimmy back, involved in every school activity, has gone for the 'Christina Aguilera' look since leaving goth behind, bleached blonde hair, wears brown contacts, Caucasian  
  
Mona: semi-popular, sophomore, is the support system for everyone, encourages Liberty to tell Marco how she feels, really into designing things and art, really into having fun as long as it doesn't involve drugs or alcohol, doesn't hate anyone but is strongly against Ashley, Terri, and Sammy, dark brown almost black hair, brown eyes, Native American  
  
Chapter One: Don't Even Bother  
  
"Eww. I can't believe you're actually eating that." Hazel commented as her new best friend Manuela walked over to their table. Heather had been sent to reform school once her father found out about her scandalous relationships. And she wasn't coming back.  
"I know. It has a million grams of fat in it, but I forgot my lunch and I have to eat something." Manuela explained as Jimmy and Sammy followed her to the 'popular table.'  
"What are you girls screeching about over here." Jimmy asked, setting his football on the table. He was officially the only student in the history of the Degrassi High to play football, basketball, baseball, soccer, track, and tennis all in one year. It seemed impossible, but somehow he managed to do it all-- not without missing a few games here and there, but Jimmy had become the Superman of the Degrassi High . Every girl wanted him, especially his first ex- Ashley.  
"Would you get that nasty football off the table?" Manuela wondered. "Why?" "Please Jimmy." Terri begged. He shrugged, moving it to the ground. "I saw you guys at practice yesterday. You were awesome." Ashley complimented him. Somehow, she had weaseled her way back into the inner circle, but Jimmy wasn't taking her back. "I was good wasn't I?" "Aren't we the cocky know-it-all?" Hazel rolled her eyes. They had been bickering like this every since the 9th grade, but they never had to really deal with each other until now. "Aren't we the boisterous hag." "Ooh. The jock finally learned a big word. Good for you." "Go to hell." Jimmy began eating his sloppy Joe sandwich, completely in tune to what Hazel was going to say next. "You guys are embarrassing me. We're the popular kids. The shit. We have to present ourselves as so at all times. So, you two . knock it off." Manuela commanded Jimmy and Hazel. "Sorry." Hazel apologized. "We don't want everyone thinking that we're less than perfect." She seemed to mimic, but no one noticed. "Umm . I'm not that hungry so I'll see you guys later okay?" She wondered, giving Jimmy a lingering look, making it apparent that she wanted to talk to him.  
  
"Homecoming is coming up." Hazel told Jimmy as soon as he had gotten the hint and met her just outside the cafeteria. It was amazing how they never got along until they weren't surrounded by other people. "I know. I'm starring in the game." Jimmy smiled. "Can you get your head out of the clouds for like half a second?" Hazel wondered. "You and Ashley ended ages ago and she's convinced that you're still together." "And?" Hazel closed her eyes, preparing herself for what was about to happen next. "I need someone to go with me." "Flattered but . no thanks. We'd kill each other. Hazel, we never get along." Jimmy explained. "I can't go by myself and Sammy's going with Terri. There's no one else that'll cut it. Jimmy, you and I are it. We're the stuff. And I can't do this without you." Hazel exaggerated, ready to turn on the waterworks. Everything she was doing she learned from Heather. With Jimmy by her side, she'd make Homecoming Queen- no doubt . and since Marty was just a junior, she had nothing to worry about. "Wow. I'm flattered." Jimmy grinned. "Just answer me one thing. You think I'm hot don't you?" "Nope." "You don't find me attractive in the least?" Hazel shook her head, walking into step with Jimmy as they walked without really knowing where they were going. Hazel looked down at her watch. Only ten more minutes to go. It was killing her not being about to curse him out- make him feel like nothing . something. But, to do so would be to ruin her plan. And Hazel was so going to be the next Homecoming Queen.  
  
"If you don't stop staring at her." Liberty threatened, upset that Marco was so interested in Manuela who clearly didn't notice his existence.  
  
"He's not even listening." Cody laughed, taking in more of the cigarette that he had just lit.  
"Put that out before we all get it." Liberty warned him, jumping onto her skateboard, just wishing that there was somewhere for her to just let her hair down and chill with the boys.  
"Don't be such a goody-goody." Cody responded, still smoking.  
"She's beautiful." Marco mumbled, those being his first words since he noticed Manuela walking outside to the school patio.  
"She's also out of reach. You know how she is as well as I do. Marco. Give it up!" Liberty yelled, hoping to yell some sense into his brain, but he was already gone. "I can't believe it." She rolled her eyes, snatched Cody's cigarette and smashed it onto the ground.  
"I wasn't done with that."  
"I'm not about to get in trouble AGAIN because you decided to smoke something." She explained.  
"I wasn't smoking last time." He replied.  
"Oh. I'm sorry. You were snorting." Liberty hopped off her board, beginning to pace. "Homecoming's coming up." Mona told Marco, thinking that he might've possibly heard her.  
"So." Marco answered.  
"If you become Mr. Popularity over there..." Mona pointed to Jimmy who took off moments after Hazel. "Manuela will have to go out with you. I mean it's the perfect plan for you to get to realize what a complete an total witch she is." She finished. After this Marco would be over Manuela and he'd realize how cute he'd look with Liberty. That was the only reason why she hated Manuela so much anyway. She had Marco's heart.  
"That is the stupidest idea ever. I say you just walk up to her and say what you have to say." Liberty urged him.  
"I think I'll just watch her from a safe distance." He mumbled, enticed by every delicate movement Manuela made.  
  
"That freak is staring at you again." Hazel told Manuela, returning to lunch- Jimmy's idea, and reclaiming her old spot.  
"DON'T remind me. He's so pathetic." She laughed.  
"Well, if he wasn't a fruit cake, he'd be cute." Terri added.  
"He's gay?" Manuela and Ashley asked in unison.  
"Any guy that skates is gay. Look at them with their beanies on or whatever you call them." Sammy spoke up.  
"I totally, totally agree." Hazel smiled. This would be the perfect way to get Marty to get votes for her. There were four sitting down over there. All she had to do was .  
"Who cares what he is. But, if I see him staring at me tomorrow, I'm going to go over there and give him a piece of my mind. Who does he think he is? I rule this school!" Manuela declared, power-tripping once again. Hazel sighed. At least Heather knew how to balance her ever-growing arrogance. Manuela didn't know how to handle it.  
  
"Okay. I want Terri with Mona, Liberty with Sammy, Ashley with Cody, Manuela with Marco, and Hazel and Jimmy as my last five groups." Ms. Chung exclaimed happily. The ten teenagers looked less than pleased.  
"Ms. Chung, I request to have a different partner." Manuela demanded, shaking her glittery, pink feather pen.  
"What's wrong with Marco?"  
"We don't get along," She lied, hoping that this would work.  
"All the more reason to keep you two together so that you learn how to get along." Manuela sighed as Hazel sympathized with her.  
"At least you didn't get Jimmy." "Yeah, I got the stalker extreme instead. Nice comparison." Manuela rolled her eyes and Jimmy came over to Hazel and Marco made his way to her left side. "Don't get use to this." She warned him as they decided on a project idea and a model for it. "We'll need to work on this at home. There's no way that we can finish it here in class." Marco commented. "Then take it home and do it yourself. I'm not going to be associated with you." Manuela turned to say something to Hazel, but she and Jimmy seemed completely involved in whatever they were talking about. "I'm not doing it without you." Marco explained, trying to break through the ice. "I guess we'll fail then." Marco shrugged and stopped working. "Who am I kidding? I can't afford to fail this project." Manuela rolled her eyes. "What can I do to help?" She wondered contributing to the project for the first time since class started. Within 90 minutes, the bell rang and there was only one more class left. "Do you want to meet at my house?" Marco offered. "As if." "Your house?" He asked. "Nope." Manuela picked up her purse and left the classroom, leaving Marco to follow her. He scribbled down his number on a sheet a paper, anxious to have her call him. "Manuela. Manuela!" She ignored him, but eventually, she turned around to see Marco handing her his number. He had been waiting for a while to do that. "Whatever is this for?" "Our project." Marco lied. In reality, he was imagining that he was giving his new number to his girl, Manuela. It was going to take a miracle for that to happen.  
  
(A/N: I know this is a really long chapter. If you guys want shorter ones, let me know. Please review so that I will continue. -NL) 


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two: He Was A Punk, She Did Ballet  
  
"Ooh. Who's number are you holding?" Hazel asked Manuela, who was practically running down the hallway.  
"I can't say, but it's not that important anyway." She folded the piece of paper and tucked it into her Gucci purse.  
"If it's not important, why didn't you throw it out?" Ashley wondered.  
"Chill out with the questions guys. I didn't even notice that trash can over there, otherwise it would've been totally gone, alright?" Manuela rolled her eyes, rushing to the passenger side of Hazel's car.  
"When's your dad going to get you that Saturn you wanted?"  
"Eww. I so don't want a Saturn, but an Eclipse. As soon as I start making all A's, which is like impossible." Manuela applied clear lip gloss to her lips.  
"Well, if you get that English grade up." Manuela tuned her out, noticing Marco walk by. He hadn't even noticed her, but she noticed him walking with two girls. Liberty and Mona. Who did he think he was, trying to play her like that? She rolled her eyes.  
"Let's go."  
"I would but I'm giving Jimmy a ride today." Hazel answered.  
"You've gotta be kidding. Jimmy lives like forty-five minutes out of town. What about football practice . And I have ballet in an hour and a half."  
"I could take you home first." Hazel offered.  
"Fair enough. Now, if Jimmy would bring his-"  
"You called?" Jimmy smiled, hopping into the back-seat of Hazel's car.  
"Shouldn't you be practicing for the big game tonight?" Manuela rolled her eyes, annoyed by his presence.  
"Naw. Coach doesn't believe in working us the day of the game, which is why I didn't get home until nine thirty last night." Hazel nodded, pretending to be interested. "I thought you were taking me home." Jimmy commented as Hazel took a left, which was opposite from where Jimmy lived.  
"Manuela has ballet and it starts at four or something like that. You'll get home. Chill and stop acting like a spoiled brat." She demanded, not being able to hold back a negative comment towards Jimmy.  
"Please don't start you two. Wait until I'm gone." Both Jimmy and Hazel nodded. As soon as Manuela left chaos would break through.  
  
"Are you serious mother?" Liberty wondered, dropping the dance pamphlet onto the living room table. "I can't be seen taking dance with Rock Hill Academy of Dance. I'd never be able to live it down."  
"I know how you feel about ballet . your father and I have been talking about it for a while. I don't like you hanging around all those guys." Ms. Whittier told her daughter.  
"Mona isn't a guy mom and I've known Cody and Marco since Junior High. I don't even have a graceful bone in my body." Liberty argued, outraged at this news. She was going to be dancing at Manuela's dance studio. How golden.  
"Your father will come to the performances." Ms. Whittier urged.  
"So you two are on speaking terms? How ironic. You've already ruined each other's lives, now you're back to ruin mine? I can't believe you would do this to me mom! I would expect this out of dad because he's never here. I thought you understood me!" She exclaimed, growing more and more emotional. Her parents had been divorced for two years, but separated for four years prior to that and her less-than-perfect family was still a sensitive subject. She'd lost her only other sibling to her father and her life was miserable without him.  
"I do understand you Liberty. How bad can it be?"  
"You were the dancer in the family mom . you and dad. NOT ME! Okay, I do not want to follow in your footsteps." Liberty ran up to her room, threw a few things in her bag, climbed out the window, down the tree running to Marco's house.  
Liberty threw a pebble at Marco's window. He didn't answer, probably listening to music. She moved her bag to the side of her body and started to climb up a tree that was near his window. She'd have to take a big leap, but it had been done before. "Marco!" She yelled, throwing another pebble at his window.  
Moments later, he stuck his head out of the window. "Liberty? Your mom knows that your here." Liberty stopped climbing and sat where she had stopped.  
"How?"  
"You always come here. She's on her way." Marco yelled, closing the window and rushing outside of the house. "What happened?"  
"Looks like I'm taking ballet with your girlfriend." Liberty rolled her eyes. By now, she was almost done climbing down the tree. Marco picked her up, by the waist, and helped her the rest of the way down. Hiding her blush, Liberty continued. "I'm gonna be a ballerina now."  
"No way."  
"Yes way. My mom's completely lost it and now I'm gonna be . I don't even want to think about it. Soon she'll be forbidding me to hang out with you guys. I can't give up skateboarding. It's my world."  
"I thought she already did that." Marco stated.  
"You know what I mean." Liberty walked to Marco's front door as they sat on the porch swing. "Isn't this great?" She asked, noticing that her mother had arrived. She had a bag with the words Bloch on it.  
"They're waiting for you." Reluctantly, Liberty got up and followed her mother to their car and onto Rock Hill Academy of Dance. "Hey, let me know when your first performance comes around." Marco laughed. Liberty held back the urge to flick him off. After all 'mother dearest' was around.  
  
"The princess has left the car." Jimmy commented, moving into the front seat.  
"Aren't we observant?" Hazel waved to Manuela, quickly backing out of the yard.  
"Look, if you want me to take you to Homecoming, you've got to be a little more appreciative." Jimmy explained.  
"Meaning?"  
"Meaning that you've gotta stop being such a hag." Hazel stopped the car.  
"I'm like two seconds from dropping your ass in the middle of this street and making you walk home." Hazel kept driving. "Don't ever call me a hag again."  
"If the shoe fits." Jimmy continued.  
"You think I'm bluffing? Get out." Hazel demanded. "Get out now." Jimmy didn't budge. "I can't keep doing this with you Jimmy. You want to know why we hate each other? This is why. You treat me like shit, I treat you like shit. It's as simple as that."  
"Why do you always take offense to everything that everyone says. Chill out girl."  
"How are we ever going to go to Homecoming together without killing each other?" Hazel sighed. "You might as well change your mind and take Ashley. She still loves you, you know?"  
"You're wrong. Ashley never loved me. And I never go back."  
"Cause you found Reagan." Jimmy nodded. They traveled the rest of the way in total silence, except for the radio, which Jimmy had turned on after a while. "You can get out now." Hazel told Jimmy as the car made it to its way to his front yard.  
"If you don't relax and chill out I'm not taking you to Homecoming." He threatened.  
"Is that a threat?"  
"A promise. Girl, stop playin like you don't want this." Hazel shook her head. Jimmy always tried to prove that he was black by quote-unquote "acting black."  
"Boy, stop trippin. You wish I wanted that, but I don't. Now get out." Hazel reached past him, unlocking the door.  
"Aight. One." Hazel lifted her chin in response, pulling off.  
"I guess if my mom was white, I'd be acing like that too." She said to herself, making the thirty minute drive back to her house.  
  
Liberty reluctantly walked into Rock Hill Academy of Dance. All the other girls looked like they had been doing this for years. She walked past the girls that were stretching and rested on the couch, which awaited her in the lobby area. Spotting Manuela, she turned the other way. She wasn't going to be able to hide for long. 


	3. Chapter Three He Wanted Her, She'd Never...

Manuela: popular, junior who single-handedly rules the school, stop being friends with Emma after she started dating Cody, hopes to become a dancer, dyed her hair blonde, brown eyes, Colombian  
  
Marco: skater, senior, hopelessly in love with Manuela, gave up popularity for something he loved more, best friends with Cody, Liberty, and Mona, dark hair and dark eyes, Dominican  
  
Hazel: popular, senior, trying to get over reoccurring feels about Jimmy, Manuela's closet friend, layered brown hair, dark eyes, wants to be a model or movie producer someday, Somalian  
  
Jimmy: popular, senior, always tries to prove that he's black, has broken up with Ashley for good, hides his sensitive side, wishes that his family was around, dark hair, dark eyes, African American father, Caucasian mother  
  
Terri: semi-popular, senior, sick of being the token chubby girl, the only one that Ashley confides in, has been crushing on Cody for a while, dyed reddish brown hair and blue eyes, Caucasian  
  
Cody: skater, senior, uses drugs and alcohol to escape his non-existent family life, misses his little sister Ashley and his mother, won't allow himself to feel anything real, is a shadow of the person he once was, curly brown hair, brown eyes, Caucasian  
  
Liberty: skater that takes ballet too, against her will, junior, has been Marco's best friend since everyone abandoned him when he thought he was gay, has deeper feelings for him and hates Manuela because he cares for her like he'd never care for Liberty, light brown curly hair, dark brown eyes, Puerto Rican mother, Italian father  
  
Ashley: popular, senior, has one mission before high school is over- get Jimmy back, involved in every school activity, has gone for the 'Hazel Aguilera' look since leaving goth behind, bleached blonde hair, wears brown contacts, Caucasian  
  
Mona: semi-popular, sophomore, is the support system for everyone, encourages Liberty to tell Marco how she feels, really into designing things and art, really into having fun as long as it doesn't involve drugs or alcohol, doesn't hate anyone but is strongly against Ashley, Terri, and Sean, dark brown almost black hair, brown eyes, Native American  
  
Chapter Three: What More Can I Say?  
  
"Liberty?" Manuela asked, not believing her eyes. One of the most dorky people EVER was taking dance at her studio. The nerve.  
  
"Yeah. Manuela ... imagine that. I didn't know you danced here." Liberty lied, pulling off her jeans, revealing pink tights.  
  
"I didn't know you danced."  
  
"Yeah, well, be prepared to be the second best dancer here." Liberty challenged, only realizing how hard ballet was when they started doing extensions and back attitudes, not to mention all those allegro progressions.  
  
"The second best dancer, right?" Manuela grinned as class ended. Liberty had completely fallen behind in class and she was already planning out an excuse to skip her nest ballet class.  
  
"I totally need to get an A in English Hazel." Manuela sighed, applying a pale pink nail polish to her toes.  
  
"I know. You've told me about a million times today." Hazel sat up in her bed, closing her magazine. When Manuela got needy like this, there was no need to try and do anything else but help her. "How's your project going?"  
  
"I really wouldn't know. Marco took it home ... I think." She answered, remembering the she was paired with a complete freak.  
  
"Oh, I forgot that stalker dude was your partner." Hazel laughed. "Beats having Jimmy. He has more PMS than I do."  
  
"Jimmy? Humph. I'd take him over Marco. The worst part about it is that he thinks that he can just come up to me in the hallway and give me his number."  
  
"Are you going to call him?" Hazel wondered, tuned into the conversation one hundred percent.  
  
"Not a chance in this world. I really don't want to go over to his house today OR tomorrow. It's already seven anyway." Manuela explained.  
  
"So? Just call him up. You need that A if you want that car. To tell the truth, I am sick of chauffeuring you and Jimmy around. I have a life of my own too you know."  
  
"I know I've been a burden major to you Tina, but when I get my car I'll repay you. I swear." Manny finished polishing her toes. She started to pick out an outfit for the next day.  
  
"Yeah. That's exactly why you need to get off the phone with me and call Marco ... NOW!!"  
  
"I know. I'll do it, okay?" Manuela and Hazel had a short conversation, mostly about her dance class. She didn't even think to ask Hazel what was going on before she picked up the phone and dialed Marco's number. Manny didn't even need the paper. She had memorized it in hopes of getting that car she wanted.  
  
"Hello?" A tired voice answered.  
  
"... Is Marco there?"  
  
"Manny, is that you?" He asked, his voice perking up instantly.  
  
"Get it right. It's Manuela and I'm calling about our project and only about our project." She told him.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Yeah and I'm coming over in ten. Got it?" Manuela hung up the phone, not even waiting for an answer. What to wear? She was going to make sure and wear something really cute so that it would be easier to convince Marco to do the project all by himself. It had been done before -- never on a skater boy ... but anything was possible.  
  
"Cody, dude she's coming over." Marco told his friend that was still sitting in the exact spot that he had been in since he sat down.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Manuela, my love." Marco sighed.  
  
"Dude. Chill out. You sound like an idiot." Cody laughed. "Just how much of my weed have you been smoking?"  
  
"None of it. I told you I gave it up." Marco admitted. "We're working on a school project together and she's coming over."  
  
"And you think that means something? Dude, she's not interested in you. You're just so desperate..." Cody's voice trailed off. "Hey, I'll talk to you later." He mumbled, sounding even more high than before.  
  
"Whatever." Marco mumbled, making sure that he smelled okay and that he didn't look too dorky. After all, Manny was coming over.  
  
Manuela rang the bell to Marco's house, looking around. What a dump, she thought to herself, wondering how she was going to make it through this night. "Hey." A girl who looked about my age greeted me.  
  
"Hello." I smiled, attempting to be polite.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"Umm. I'm here to see your brother." Manuela explained, wincing at the fact that she was going over to Marco's house and asking Marco for help.  
  
"How you know Marco's my brother?" The girl challenged, putting her hand on her hip.  
  
"Veronica, stop giving her a hard time. Let her in." Manuela heard Marco's voice and started to perk up. This Veronica girl was really tom- boyish and probably wouldn't hesitate to start something with Manuela.  
  
"You're lucky that Marco heard me talking to you. Come in." Veronica moved to the side, barely making room for Manuela.  
  
"Hey Manny." Manuela looked back, noticing that the girl was still there.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Nothin much. Do you ... want something to drink?" He asked, pointing to the kitchen.  
  
"Coke. Diet." Manuela sat back into the navy blue couch, unable to get comfortable because Veronica was giving her a death stare.  
  
"Mira chica. You hurt my brother in any way and I'll hunt you down and kick your butt, easily." Veronica snorted. "He's really into you and even if you don't like him you better fake it for your own sake. Got it?" Manuela nodded, trembling with fear. If she was on her own grounds with her own people, she'd tell Veronica off, but now was not the time or place for it.  
  
Marco returned, noticing that Manuela looked very uncomfortable. "Did Ronni say anything to you?"  
  
"She's just being an older sister ... let's just get on with this project already. I so have somewhere else to be." She yawned, paying close attention to Marco's reaction. He didn't even seem phased by her sudden change of mood. Weird ...  
  
"So, do like this... we're almost done." Marco demonstrated, holding back his urge to touch Manuela's soft, delicate hands, if even for a moment. She was perfect in every way regardless of what everyone else thought. "No, no ese ... asi." Marco corrected her.  
  
"It would help if you didn't stare at me like that. If just annoys the heck outta me okay? So don't do it ..."  
  
"Okay." Marco whispered quietly.  
  
"And while you're at it, stop speaking all this Spanish garbage. I have no idea what you're talking about." Manuela admitted, pulling her hair to one side and playing with it. Marco stopped all movements and watched her. "Stop gawking at me!" She yelled, snapping him out of his trance.  
  
"Sorry, don't you see that I'm trying?" Marco questioned her as everything became still. He had no idea how she was going to react to his semi-outburst.  
  
"Don't you realize how embarrassing it is to have someone stare at you all the time? It's not even like I like you or anything ... we're not on the same page Marco and we may never be. Understand?" She tried to explain, getting tired of holding her tongue and being so sweet to him.  
  
"Sure." Marco cleared his throat. "Who are you going to the Homecoming Dance with?" She shrugged.  
  
"I haven't really thought about it yet."  
  
"If you still need a date the day of or something, I'd take you." He offered.  
  
"I'd rather- No way it's going to happen Marco. And now, if you'll excuse me I think it's about time for me to go." Manuela haughtily got up and made her way to the door. Marco followed.  
  
"Don't you want to stay for dinner?"  
  
"Heck no. I thought I made it perfectly clear that there will be no talking to you, no looking at you unless it involves a school project, k?" She cocked her head to the side, trying to ignore the fact that this guy genuinely liked her. He wasn't doing this for status. He wanted her.  
  
As Manuela started to daze off, Marco's mother opened the door, bringing in three of his other siblings and knocking Manuela in the shoulder. "Are you okay?" Marco asked as she nodded. "Mom, this is Manuela."  
  
"Hola ... I didn't hit you when I was coming in, did I? Lo siento." She said all at once. "Is she staying for dinner?" Ms. Perez questioned her son. "Tu estas apuntalando, no?"  
  
"Are you staying?" Marco whispered to Manuela since she had no idea what Ms. Perez as saying.  
  
"Umm, thanks Ms. ... Marco's mom, but it's really late and I should be going home. My mom might get worried."  
  
"Absurdo. Llama y pregunta.  
  
"She wants you to call your mother and get permission to stay." Marco translated.  
  
"Do I have a choice?" He shook his head as he showed her the way to the nearest phone. Manuela dialed the number and got permission to stay. Marco smiled. This was always how he wanted it to be. "You tell anyone about this and I swear your ass is vapor." Manuela got in Marco's face. He laughed.  
  
"What? I can't ever take you seriously. A 4'10 girl threatening to kick my ass?" Marco smiled.  
  
"You're lucky that I don't do it now." Manuela responded, half- kidding, half-serious.  
  
"That's only because Veronica's around."  
  
"True. Maybe I'll just get Sean and Jimmy to do it for me." Manuela spun on her heel, making her way back to the living room. She hadn't really known much about Marco, except at one point in his life he thought he was gay- That was short-lived. And, that he gave up popularity for skateboarding. What was so special about a board with wheels anyway?  
  
(A/N: I hear what you guys are saying about me changing the characters, but everyone still has a part of their personality for the show and I'm not going to write some boring story about Degrassi just to stay true to the characters. Furthermore, I started this idea before Marco found out he was gay on the show, therefore he's going to be straight in this story.) 


	4. Chapter Four: Secretly She Wanted Him As...

Chapter Four: He Wanted Her, She'd Never Tell  
  
"So when I walked into the class I was completely clueless. They started talking about rondebonds or something like that. It was the only thing that I could do." Liberty rambled on.  
  
"Really?" Marco seemed distracted.  
  
"Hey you. What's going on? Finally realized that your princess was the wicked witch of the west?" She joked.  
  
"No. Manny's not a bad. We actually got along really well."  
  
"Did she flirt with you? That's so typical." Liberty grew annoyed, wishing that she were talking to Marco face-to-face. There was something that she was meaning to ask him ... tell him and Mona kept telling her that she should make her move before Manuela did.  
  
"We didn't flirt with each other. I just saw a side to her that I didn't know existed. She can be really sweet you know?" Marco smiled to himself.  
  
"Okay. Enough about her already ... you're not thinking of taking her to Homecoming are you?"  
  
"Not this year. Maybe next time."  
  
"Good, then we can go ... if you want to. I mean, as friends." Liberty covered, trying not to stumble over her words.  
  
"Umm ... sure, if Manuela turns down my offer. I gave her until the day of." He explained.  
  
"Oh. Oh, that's okay then. Mona, Cody, and I will just make it a triple date." Liberty tried to steady her voice. Already, he was turning her down for Manuela. They had gone to every school function together- the four of them- and now he was going to throw away four years of friendship for Manuela. The most popular girl in school who didn't even notice him. How jolly.  
  
"Yeah. You three do that." Marco answered seeming distracted. Manuela had just walked into his room. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"We need to work on our project. The sooner it gets done, the sooner I get to go back to hanging out with my own friends." Manuela answered. "If we don't work today I have to cancel my plans to go to the beach and that is so not gonna happen." Liberty remained quiet. Her worst enemy was over at her best friend's house. No way.  
  
"Umm ... Liberty ... talk to you later." He spat out, hanging up before she could process what was going on. Liberty couldn't believe that Marco would just dispose her like that, like she was nothing. He was one of the main people that helped her go on when she discovered that her last name wasn't Van Zant, that she had been torn away from her father, who was considered an "unfit parent." But now, all he could think about was Manny.  
  
"So Manny ... if I decide not to work with you, you can't go out?" Marco smiled.  
  
"That's right."  
  
"I had plans for today, but I'll make a deal with you. If you take me to the beach with you, then we can work for as long as you want today?"  
  
"Eww. Me show up with you? Never. Ashley and Terri would tear me apart." She rolled her eyes. "Get off your bed and come downstairs. We have a project to work on."  
  
"Can't help you there chica." Manuela groaned, sensing that she was trapped. "Having a change of heart chica?" She starting pacing around the room. Manuela was trying to contemplate on whether to look like a loser because she couldn't go or to look like a loser because she brought Marco. Decisions, decisions.  
  
Hazel tapped her freshly manicured nails on her kitchen table, waiting for something to happen. No one had called her since yesterday and her family had gotten a head start on their three-day weekend. "Maybe I should've gone with them." She picked up the phone contemplating on whether she should call Jimmy or not ... that dream she had last night about him dying had really been crazy. He had been confessing his love to her and she had completely thrown it to the side. Now, she just felt awful, and what had that dream meant? Becoming more and more focused on interpreting her dream, Hazel didn't even notice her phone ringing. The answering machine picked up.  
  
"Hey Hazel, it's me Jimmy. I don't know where you are, but everyone's at the beach- except you and Manuela. What's up-"  
  
"Jimmy." Hazel picked up, happy that someone had called her.  
  
"Yeah? Why aren't you here?"  
  
"No one called me and told me. You guys are at the Southside beach, right?"  
  
"Yeah." Jimmy paused. "Ashley was supposed to call all the girls and let them know."  
  
"She probably forgot." Hazel lied, knowing that Ashley had noticed that she was spending more and more time with Jimmy. That girl had always had stalker qualities.  
  
"You're right. You want me to pick you up?"  
  
"Did you get your car back so soon?" Hazel flipped her hair.  
  
"No. I got a new one. Courtesy of pops."  
  
"Can you be here in half an hour?" She asked.  
  
"Why don't you be ready when I come?"  
  
"Why do you always insist on telling me what to do? I-" Jimmy cut her off.  
  
"Just be ready."  
  
"I can't believe that Jimmy just bailed like that." Ashley sighed. He'd come and gone so quickly that he barely noticed her hair-color change. She was now officially a blonde.  
  
"He'll be back soon." Terri reassured her.  
  
"Yeah, he'll be back after he gets tired of Hazel." Sean laughed to himself.  
  
"Thanks for being supportive." Ashley lightly hit Sean. "I really need your honest opinion—do you think that I can get Jimmy back. I mean, I'm starting to think it's hopeless."  
  
"Why should I care whether or not you get back together with prissy boy?" Sean was still a little hurt by the fact that Ashley had still chosen Jimmy over him. Even after their year and a half relationship, she decided to break it off and go running back to Jimmy.  
  
"I think you just need to give Jimmy time. He'll realize that he's not going to get anything from Hazel, and you're so totally ready to go all the way with him, right?" Terri cocked her head to the side.  
  
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" Ashley smiled. She had never told Terri how serious her relationship with Sean had been and maybe that was a good thing. The last time she had informed Terri on the Jimmy-Sean situation, she had been outcasted from the 'group.' Now, she wasn't going to make that mistake twice.  
  
Jimmy rushed to Hazel's house, happy to get away from Ashley. She was completely smothering him! He rang the doorbell, happy hoping that Hazel wasn't ready. The less time away from Ashley, the better.  
  
"Hey." Hazel opened the door, dressed in jeans and a tank top.  
  
"I thought I told you that we were at the beach." Jimmy commented.  
  
"I know, but I told you that I'd be ready when I'm ready." Hazel motioned for Jimmy to step in. "I'll be ready in about half and hour."  
  
"Half an hour? Girl, don't you know they're all waiting for us?" She nodded.  
  
"You can leave if you want. I don't care. I can always count on Heather."  
  
"Yeah because she moved away a long time ago and lives in a completely different state. How convenient." Jimmy rolled his eyes, plopping down on Hazel's couch.  
  
"Why do I even bother trying to have a decent conversation with you? It's just so not worth it." Hazel rushed up her stairs, trying to forget how angry Jimmy had just made her, and in a matter of minutes too. It was all so unbelievable.  
  
"Okay, when they approach us, try to act cool and don't say anything. Let me do all the talking." Manuela demanded, while Marco followed her onto Southside Beach. "Hey guys!" She yelled, waving as her friends came into view.  
  
"Manuela. Hey ... who's that with you?" Hazel hinted, wondering why her friend was escorting that loser to their "gathering."  
  
"Umm ... everyone this is Marco. I'm sure you all know each other."  
  
"Yeah we know him, but what the hell is he doing here?" Ashley wondered, snickering at the sight of Manuela with Marco. How comical.  
  
"Well ..." Manuela's voice trailed off as she thought of a good explanation. "First of all, I don't answer to anyone, must less you, and Marco's cool. Chill out." Manuela brushed past her, finding the perfect spot to tan.  
  
"Chill out? Since when does she say stuff like that?" Terri wondered, knowing that something was going on with Marco and Manuela, but she just didn't know what it was.  
  
"Personally, I don't think he should be here." Ashley mumbled to Terri.  
  
"I think you already made that clear. Seriously Ash, give him a break. We all gave you one, otherwise you wouldn't be here." Jimmy butted in, grabbing a drink.  
  
"I was just saying what everyone else was thinking." Ashley explained, walking off.  
  
"You look completely pathetic, running after him like that." Hazel told Ashley, bluntly.  
  
"What are you talking about? You wouldn't know a thing about having or keeping a guy." Ashley scoffed. "When's the last time you had a boyfriend?" She rolled her eyes.  
  
"Fine then. I won't tell you what Jimmy told me." Hazel began to walk away.  
  
"Wait! I'm sorry ... you're right." Ashley reluctantly admitted. "Now what did he say?"  
  
"Oh. Not much, but he did mention a certain someone named Reagan." Hazel lied, trying to get to Ashley.  
  
"Oh please. That is so last year."  
  
"Yeah, but that still a soft spot. And you know how those break-ups and make-ups go, right?"  
  
"Will you talk to him for me?" Ashley finally asked, not believing that she had asked Hazel, who was clearly interested in Jimmy, to do something for her.  
  
"I'll get the scoop on Reagan, but you have to do something for me..."  
  
"I just feel so stupid for thinking that I could trust him, that I could trust anyone." Liberty confided in Mona and Cody, who was, for once, sober. "I mean Marco is such a jerk. He completely blew me off!" Liberty knocked over a small figurine that was sitting on top of the table.  
  
"And did you tell him that you wanted to talk to him, that he was blowing you off?" Mona wondered as Liberty shook her head in response. "How is he supposed to know how you feel if you don't tell him?"  
  
"Because he's known me for ..." Liberty stopped, knowing that she had only known him for three or four years. "He's one of my best friends, just like you guys."  
  
"But you're totally in love with him." Cody added.  
  
"I can see it now. He's gonna ditch us for popularity, just like everyone else does. And I can't take it. Marco just knows too much about me..." Her voice trailed off. Liberty hadn't told Mona or Cody about her real father, about what changed her and made school cease to be the top of her priority list.  
  
"Marco's a smart guy. He's just 'in like' with someone."  
  
"Yeah, I think you're just jealous." Cody joked.  
  
"And why would I be jealous?" Liberty exclaimed, outraged.  
  
"Because he can't return your affection." He responded.  
  
"You know no matter how badly you treat her, she'll keep coming back." Hazel declared, talking about Ashley.  
  
"Yeah, well how can she resist this? Playa, playa." Jimmy responded as Hazel rolled her eyes.  
  
"I don't know who lied to you, but you've got no game whatsoever hon." Hazel proclaimed unamused. "And where's Reagan?" She asked, trying to find out what really happened between them.  
  
"I don't know. I'm not her keeper." Jimmy rolled her eyes. "That was last year anyway." He replied sadly.  
  
"So why do your eyes light up when you see her?"  
  
"Why are you all in by business? Reagan and I have a lot of stuff to clear up. It concerns us, not you, k?" Jimmy walked away angrily. "I'll be in the water." He called back behind him.  
  
"I can't believe that he stood us up. This is so unlike Marco." Liberty complained as Cody took another puff of whatever he was getting high off of. "Would you chill out? You're smoking that stuff like it's air."  
  
"Did you ever notice..." Cody began, but stopped and started talking about something else. Now he was getting all spacey and everything Liberty said had gone in one ear and out the other.  
  
"I'm sure Marco has a good reason- you know he's got that project." Mona offered.  
  
"Don't even remind me about that one. I know who he's probably with ... that "Manuela." Did I tell you how she treated my when my mom made me go to that dance academy for rejects? She was so stuck on herself. Ugh!" Liberty exclaimed, wishing that Marco would just walk through the door any second. But he didn't. He didn't even call.  
  
(a/n: R/R FOR MORE AND TO HELP ME FINISH!! Nicole Lopez) 


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five: Secretly She Wanted Him As Well

"So are you going to stop running and get out the water?" Hazel yelled, teasing Jimmy from the sidelines. She had convinced Ashley to drop out of the Homecoming thing if and only if she could find out what was going on with Jimmy ... and get them a date.

"Why are you stalking me girl?"

"I'm not a girl." Hazel rolled her eyes. "I just wanted to talk to you."

"I've got nothing to say!" Jimmy turned his back to Hazel, swimming farther and farther away. If she didn't hurry up and do something, she'd lose this opportunity.

"You just missed a call!" She yelled as loud as she could. "I think it might've been Reagan." Jimmy's body stiffened up as he reluctantly returned to shore.

"Did you answer it?"

"Maybe. Maybe not." Hazel walked away with Jimmy tagging along behind her.

"This is _not _a game. If you answered the phone ... she could think ..."

"So you do care 'playa playa.'" Hazel smirked, catching him red-handed.

"What do you want from me?"

"Reagan still loves you, yet you're out here pretending like you hate her. What's your deal? Are you hung up on Ashley?"

"Hell no. Once I got rid of her, I realized that ... I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay, we don't have to." Hazel stopped pushing noticing that this was really serious. "I just need you to do something for me. I have a plan that'll get rid of Ash for good and maybe give you a second chance with Reagan."

"So then there was this..." Marco's voiced trailed off as Manuela tried to pretend like she hated having him there. He was actually pretty charming and even Paige would be eating out of his palm ... if she was there.

"What made you think you could bring him here?" Ashley wondered, a little tipsy. Jimmy had completely been hanging out with Hazel the whole time ... who he "hated" and she wasn't handling the rejection well.

"Well I said I'm going to hang out with my friends. He asked if he could come. I said yeah. It's not that complicated."

"Before you know it, he'll have all the skater people here."

"No. This is temporary. He'll be cool with us until our project is over. I'll dump his ass after that." Manuela said as snotty as she could, trying not to feel bad about what she was going to have to do.

"You haven't talked to me all night. Is something wrong?" Marco asked Manuela who took a small sip of some barely-aged wine. For some reason, it just wasn't having the same affect that it would normally have on her.

"I'm fine." She lied. "Shouldn't you be heading back home?"

"I came with you."

"So." Manuela tried not to look at him. He looked so confused and like he expected so much out of her ...

"I know you don't want me here Manny, but ... I'm glad you brought me here." He thanked Manuela as she chugged the rest of her alcohol.

"You've got to be kidding me. Since when did this turn into a date. Are you completely delusional? No one here gives a shit about you, so just go home. Stop embarrassing yourself."

"What do you want from me?"

"I want you to leave me alone ... and stop calling me Manny like you know me or something. You don't. And in case you wanted to know, I have a boyfriend." Marco hung his head, feeling like a complete jerk.

"Oh." He walked away briskly, trying not to show that he was hurt. But he was. Now he was embarrassed.

"Reagan." Hazel whispered, trying to hurry up before anyone noticed that she was gone.

"Who is this? Haze." Hazel muttered under her breathe. She was never good at impersonating other people, and Reagan had completely seen through it.

"I just want you to know that Jimmy has been miserable without you."

"And? Don't you have something better to do with your time then meddle in other people's personal business?"

"He wants you to meet him at eight o-clock..." Hazel lied. She felt that she owed Jimmy this much. After all, once their plan began Reagan and Jimmy would be completely over. Done.

Manuela woke up after a perfect dream. She had been on a romantic dinner with her boyfriend ... no. Wait. It had been someone else. Marco. How could she have forgotten how mean she had been to him.

"But I had to do it." She convinced herself, trying not to focus on the voice that told her that she had once been in the situation. With Craig. Manuela shuddered, happy that he just seemed to disappear from her thoughts altogether.

"But I have Enrique now." She smiled to herself. A college boyfriend, one that she hadn't seen in a long time. "It's about time that I paid you a visit baby." Manuela gathered up her things, not bothering to think about leaving a note or letting Marco know that she wouldn't be able to work today.


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six: All of Her Friends Stuck Up Their Nose

"Hey can you tell me where Enrique Correa's room is?" Manuela asked the first guy she saw.

"Why do you want to know?" He challenged.

"Do you know or not? I can always ask someone else." Manuela sighed, putting her hands on her hips. The guy smirked at Manuela, leaving her to wonder what he found amusing. She looked down at her clothes—she was in and off-the-shoulder pink sweater with short cut-off shorts. Not her best look. "What's so funny?" Manuela asked, as he shrugged and she gave up, deciding that her best bet would be to go into a dorm and ask someone who looked like they had a little common sense.

"He's in the Eastern dorm room 227, but you might want to knock!" He called back behind her.

"Are all college guys idiots?" Manuela rolled her eyes. "Knock? Enrique will be so happy to see me." She broke out into a light jog, unable to contain her eagerness to see him. Manuela just needed to touch him, to see him, just to make sure that he was real.

"Enrique, get you lazy butt out here!" Manuela yelled, hoping that the jerk downstairs wasn't lying to her.

"What the-" He opened is door all the way, surprised to see Manuela at his door. "What are you doing here sweetheart?" Enrique wondered, happy that he had come back from that party solo.

"I came to see you. You're always saying how it takes too long to drive back home, so I'm here. Aren't you happy?" Manuela jumped onto Enrique, knocking him over.

"You came all the way here for that? You shouldn't have." He joked as Manuela got up and looked around his dorm room.

"Don't you ever clean?"

"No. Signs of needing a woman in my life, eh?" Enrique asked.

"I'm here now." Manuela walked back over to him. "And I've missed you so much." She hugged him warmly while asking, "Where are you taking me?"

"Where ever you want to go." Enrique responded, knowing that that was what she wanted to hear. Suddenly, his term paper didn't matter anymore. He was on a new mission, which involved Manuela.

"I'm here, now what?" Jimmy asked himself, waiting for Reagan to arrive. She told him to meet her there at eight and it was almost eight thirty.

"Late as usual." Reagan said, coming from behind Jimmy. "What are you waiting for? Let's go in." She took his hand, leading him to the Food Court of the mall—his favorite part of coming and her least.

"Wait. You're taking me to the Food Court? What's going on?" He wondered. She sat down quietly, not sure of whether or not she should be saying this to him.

"Jimmy, we're been through a lot." Reagan sighed. "And I know I've put you through hell, but… things have just been really hard …" Reagan looked up. "…without you. I mean, I want to start again. We had a great thing going." Jimmy took her hands in his.

"I don't know about this Reagan. We did have a great thing, but you've strung me along for a while. And how do I know that it won't end in a week, or a month, or-" Reagan cut him off.

"Tomorrow. I don't know, but we can at least try. How can you just walk away from something like this? You asked me for a second chance, and here it is." Reagan buried her face in her hands. "The truth is … I love you and I didn't understand how much I loved you until you weren't there."

"It killed me to let you go Reg. It kills me to see you like this, but I don't want to put myself out there like that if I know what's going to happen again." Jimmy answered.

"All I'm asking you to do is try. Please." She pleaded. "For us." Reagan took his hands, caressing them. "For us?" She whispered. Jimmy looked down, contemplating the full scope of things.

Marco walked into Liberty's garage, deciding to show up for one of the band's practices after missing two in a row.

"You don't look happy." Mona commented as Liberty kept her distance. This was definitely _not _a good time to be having practice. Liberty was giving Marco hateful glances. Everyone was messed up but Cody … who was sober for once.

"I do not want to talk about it." Marco began. "That whole Dylan thing was less complicated than this."

"But you're sure this is what you want?" Marco nodded.

"I realized that I couldn't live like that. I was hiding a part of me … things that no one ever knew about …" He looked back at Liberty. "She's pissed because I missed practice."

"She's jealous. And she feels betrayed and alone. Do you know what yesterday was?" Marco shook his head. "Her birthday."

"No shit." Marco continued looking at Liberty, trying to read her expression, but unable to.

"You know what you have to do. Talk to her." Mona urged him, taking on her usual 'Dear Abby' role.

(A/N: At least four reviews before you get the next chapter!!)


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